AI, Bourbon, & Cincy AI Week: Moving from Efficiency AI to Opportunity AI

Live from the floor of Cincy AI Week, host Arian Green sits down with Dave Peterson—executive coach, fractional AI officer, and former E.W. Scripps media executive who once oversaw $600M in revenue. Pour a glass of EH Taylor and join the conversation as they break down what it truly means to navigate the rapidly shifting landscape of artificial intelligence from a non-technical perspective. In this episode, Dave shares his journey from being a digital-native journalist to an AI builder, exploring the fascinating contrast between "Efficiency AI" (using automation to cut headcount) and "Opportunity AI" (empowering employees to grow the business). They dive deep into the cultural buzz of regional tech communities, the creativity found in the "toddlerhood" of generative tech, and the power of a collaborative ecosystem. To wrap things up, members of the live audience join in to craft a "living artifact"—blending local and legendary bourbons to represent the shared momentum of Cincy AI Week 2026.Key topics/Time Stamp00:00:00 - 00:02:22 | Show Intro & Tasting Notes: Sipping EH Taylor with Voice Assistant "Covington"00:02:22 - 00:04:00 | Introducing Dave Peterson & The Cincy AI Week Experience00:04:00 - 00:05:27 | Rethinking the Cost and Return on Tokens (ROI)00:05:27 - 00:07:53 | A Non-Technical Leader's Journey & The First "Aha!" Prompting Moment00:07:53 - 00:09:09 | Solo Entrepreneurship and Building Tools Without a Tech Team00:09:09 - 00:11:01 | Bypassing the Gaslighting: Finding the Buzz in Local AI Communities00:11:01 - 00:13:48 | Creating on a Blank Canvas in the "Toddlerhood" of AI00:13:48 - 00:16:22 | Facing the Fears: Opportunity AI vs. Efficiency AI00:16:22 - 00:17:58 | Lessons for Modern CEOs and Adapting to Historical Tech Revolutions00:17:58 - 00:19:19 | Driving Top-Line Revenue Growth vs. Bottom-Line Cutting00:19:19 - 00:21:30 | Encouraging Inclusivity on the AI Spectrum (Technical vs. Non-Technical)00:21:30 - 00:23:01 | Breaking Down Complex Blueprints Without the Jargon00:23:01 - 00:28:10 | Creating the Living Artifact: Audience Bourbon Pours (New Riff, Angel's Envy, Weller) & OutroBest Key Takeaway"Don't be afraid to figure out how AI can replace 100% of your current daily tasks. True innovation isn't about Efficiency AI—using agents to eliminate jobs to save money. It's about Opportunity AI—learning how to adapt, automate your own baseline workload, and free up your capacity to drive fresh revenue and scale your business."Link & ResourcesSubscribe to the Podcast: https://aiontherocks.nky.ai/Learn more about regional tech events: @CincyAIWeekFeatured Bourbon: Colonel E.H. Taylor Small Batch#AIontheRocks #CincyAIWeek #EHTaylor #CincinnatiAI #NorthernKentucky #Podcast #GenerativeAI #TechCommunity